Veneer sheet conveying apparatus and method of controlling the same

Abstract

When a veneer conveyed out by a discharging conveyor is a product veneer, a sorting apparatus is rotationally driven to pierce the product veneer with needle-like bodies by a guide member and a push-up member (a rolling bearing). When the veneer conveyed out by the discharging conveyor is a trash veneer, the sorting apparatus is rotationally driven so that the trash veneer is not pierced by the needle-like body. With this configuration, the progress of the abrasion of the needle-like bodies can be delayed as compared with the configuration in which the product veneer and the trash veneer are both pierced by the needle-like body. As a result, the time to replace the needle-like bodies can be extended, whereby the running cost can be reduced.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A veneer sheet conveying apparatus comprising:
 a cutter disposed along a direction of veneer conveyance; 
 a discharging unit having a mounting surface for mounting a product veneer and a trash veneer cut from a veneer by the cutter, the discharging unit disposed downstream of the cutter in the direction of veneer conveyance so as to be capable of discharging the product veneer and the trash veneer downstream in the direction of veneer conveyance; 
 a piercing-conveying unit having a plurality of needle-like bodies disposed above the discharging unit so that the needle-like bodies are opposed to the mounting surface of the discharging unit so as to be capable of conveying the product veneer toward a subsequent process; and 
 a veneer sheet sorting apparatus configured to guide the product veneer toward the piercing-conveying unit so that the product veneer is pierced by the needle-like bodies, and configured to guide the trash veneer downstream in the direction of veneer conveyance so that the trash veneer is not pierced by the needle-like bodies, the veneer sheet sorting apparatus including
 an action section that acts directly on the product veneer to guide the product veneer toward the piercing-conveying unit, the action section being switchable between a guiding state where a distance between at least a portion of the action section and the needle-like bodies is smaller than a thickness of the veneer and a non-guiding state where the distance is greater than the thickness of the veneer, and the action section enters the guiding state when the veneer is the product veneer and enters the non-guiding state when the veneer is the trash veneer, 
 a rotary shaft, and 
 a rotary member, as the action section, integrally mounted to the rotary shaft, the rotary member being switchable between the guiding state and the non-guiding state by rotation of the rotary shaft, 
 a push-up section capable of pushing up at least a part of the mounting surface in a direction approaching the needle-like bodies, the push-up section configured to push up at least a part of the mounting surface to guide the product veneer toward the piercing-conveying unit, the push-up section having a second rotary member integrally and eccentrically located on the rotary shaft, the second rotary member configured to abut the mounting surface from under the mounting surface, by rotation of the rotary shaft, to push up the mounting surface. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the action section includes: a first lifting part configured to lift a downstream end portion of the product veneer; and an assisting part coupled to the first lifting part configured to assist the piercing of the needle-like bodies into the product veneer. 
 
     
     
       3. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the rotary member further includes a second lifting part configured to lift an upstream end portion of the product veneer. 
 
     
     
       4. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the action section has an inclined surface that is inclined upward downstream in the direction of veneer conveyance, when entering the guiding state; and 
 the action section is configured such that the inclined surface guides the product veneer toward the piercing-conveying unit. 
 
     
     
       5. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the action section has an inclined surface that is inclined upward downstream in the direction of veneer conveyance, when entering the guiding state; and 
 the action section is configured such that the inclined surface guides the product veneer toward the piercing-conveying unit. 
 
     
     
       6. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the inclined surface is a circular arc surface having a centerline on which the rotary shaft is located, and 
 the first lifting part, the assisting part, and the second lifting part are connected to each other by the circular arc surface. 
 
     
     
       7. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a controller for controlling the discharging unit, the piercing-conveying unit, and the veneer sheet sorting apparatus, 
 the controller configured to drive-control the veneer sheet sorting apparatus so that the first lifting part of the action section lifts the downstream end portion of the product veneer, configured to drive-control the veneer sheet sorting apparatus so that the action section enters the assisting state in which the assisting part assists the piercing of the needle-like bodies into the product veneer, and configured to drive-control the veneer sheet sorting apparatus so that the operation of the action section is temporarily stopped when the action section enters the assisting state. 
 
     
     
       8. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the controller is configured to drive-control the veneer sheet sorting apparatus so that, at least when the downstream end portion of the product veneer is being lifted by the first lifting part, the conveying speed of the action section to convey the product veneer toward the piercing-conveying unit is substantially the same as the conveying-out speed of the veneer conveyed by the discharging unit. 
 
     
     
       9. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to drive-control the veneer sheet sorting apparatus so that, at least when the upstream end portion of the product veneer is being lifted by the second lifting part, the conveying speed of the rotary member to convey the product veneer toward the piercing-conveying unit is substantially the same as the conveying-out speed of the veneer conveyed by the discharging unit. 
 
     
     
       10. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a signal transmission member for transmitting a signal when the veneer is cut into the product veneer and the trash veneer by the cutter, 
 wherein the controller is configured to drive-control the veneer sheet sorting apparatus based on the transmitted signal. 
 
     
     
       11. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to drive-control the discharging unit so that the veneers cut by the cutter are conveyed out toward the veneer sheet sorting apparatus in a state where a predetermined gap is secured between the cut veneers. 
 
     
     
       12. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising
 a loading unit disposed between a veneer cutting machine and the cutter and configured to load to the cutter the veneer discharged from the veneer cutting machine, wherein 
 the controller is configured to drive-control the loading unit and the discharging unit to make a conveying-in speed of the veneer conveyed in by the loading unit different from a conveying-out speed of the veneer conveyed out by the discharging unit. 
 
     
     
       13. A method of controlling a veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 (a) conveying the product veneer and the trash veneer downstream in the direction of veneer conveyance by the discharging unit; 
 (b) guiding the product veneer toward the piercing-conveying unit by the veneer sorting apparatus so that the needle-like bodies are pierced into the product veneer; and 
 (c) guiding the trash veneer to the downstream by the veneer sorting apparatus so that the needle-like bodies are not pierced into the trash veneer. 
 
     
     
       14. The veneer sheet conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of needle-like bodies of the piercing-conveying unit are opposed to and separated from the mounting surface of the discharging unit by a distance greater than the thickness of the veneers.